“This is the first time that we’ve been to York” proclaimed Orange Goblin lead singer Ben Ward “it’s taken us ten years to get here.” Well, better late than never.

It’s not often you get to see stoner rock in York and one look at a less than packed Fibbers might suggest that there’s not much of an appetite for such music around these parts. However, despite the fact that Fibbers must have seemed like something of a comedown after their performance at the 2007 Download Festival, British outfit Orange Goblin unleashed their ferocious riff-tastic music to a depleted, but nonetheless fired-up audience.

Goblin loosely resemble Black Sabbath, with a healthy injection of punk added into the mix. Their sound is more ‘no-nonsense’ than that of their American counterparts, which can often be of a more psychedelic bent, but this is an approach that has thus far heeded them well. 2007’s Healing Through Fire appears to be business as usual; there is little of the unexpected to be had, but as their live performance attests, that is perhaps no bad thing.

This may have been the first occasion Orange Goblin had played in York, but hopefully the crowd’s enthusiastic reaction will mean we don’t have to wait so long again.